Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

cult

[ kuhlt ]

noun

  1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
  2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers:

    the physical fitness cult.

  3. the object of such devotion.
  4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
  5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
  6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
  7. the members of such a religion or sect.
  8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.


adjective

  1. of or relating to a cult.
  2. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees:

    a cult movie.

cult

/ ʌ /

noun

  1. a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
  2. a sect devoted to such a system
  3. a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents
  4. sociol a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practices centred on sacred symbols, esp one characterized by lack of organizational structure
  5. intense interest in and devotion to a person, idea, or activity

    the cult of yoga

  6. the person, idea, etc, arousing such devotion
    1. something regarded as fashionable or significant by a particular group
    2. ( as modifier )

      a cult show

  7. modifier of, relating to, or characteristic of a cult or cults

    a cult figure

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cult

  1. In anthropology , an organization for the conduct of ritual, magical, or other religious observances. Many so-called primitive tribes, for example, have ancestor cults, in which dead ancestors are considered divine and activities are organized to respect their memory and invoke their aid. A cult is also a religious group held together by a dominant, often charismatic individual, or by the worship of a divinity, an idol, or some other object. ( See animism (see also animism ), fetish , and totemism .)
Discover More

Notes

The term cult often suggests extreme beliefs and bizarre behavior.
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈܱپ, noun
  • ˈܱپ, noun
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • ܱt ܱ·ٳ· [kuhl, -choo-, uh, l], adjective
  • ܱi adjective
  • t·ܱ noun adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of cult1

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin cultus “habitation, tilling, refinement, worship,” equivalent to cul-, variant stem of colere “to inhabit, till, worship” + -tus, suffix of verb action
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of cult1

C17: from Latin cultus cultivation, refinement, from colere to till
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Instead, the already-porous boundary between the mainstream GOP and the conspiracy cult has collapsed completely.

From

Such utopian — and even messianic — ideologies typically contain a “pseudoreligious quality” that elicit an unwavering passion among their followers, even a cult of personality.

From

The UK's Eurovision hopefuls, Remember Monday, have covered a song from Will Ferrell's cult movie about the contest, as the finals draw closer.

From

The fourth instalment of the series has maintained a cult following among fans despite it being almost two decades since its original release.

From

Find your Sunnyside — or whatever local dispensary stocks instant noodles with a cult following and sour candies that bite back.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


culpritcultch